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Why superheroes?

We're on a thematic journey of superpowers, superheroes, and kryptonite to get a different perspective on the everyday challenges of doing our best and asking the best of others at work.

One reader asked "Why superheroes? Isn't that a bit hokey for a professional firm that works with leaders and teams?"

Good question. Here's our take on the reasons for "going superhero":

Different perspectives can help us to see different possibilities

FLICKR: Marc Majcher

Whenever I travel to a new city, I try to work in some walking wherever people gather. I enjoy getting down to street level, experiencing the sights and sounds up close.

To avoid getting lost, I often retrace my route back to the hotel or meeting location. I've found the perspective I have walking back down the same streets, passing the same shops, even sometimes seeing the same people, are surprisingly different. Once I saw a young man sitting on a chair, looking happy and content. It made me smile to myself as I walked by. On my way back, I understood there was more to the story when I was able to see the young man had a cane, a cup, and a sign propped against the wall on the other side of his chair.

Thinking of yourself and the people you work with as superheroes just might provide a shift in perspective to open up possibilities you didn't see before.

Real results requires a bias towards contribution and action

The superhero genre started with Action Comics No. 1 in June of 1938 and the debut of Superman. In the face of adversity, Superman summoned his personal powers and took action against villains and situations that imperiled others.

We haven't met many leaders who can lift cars with their bare hands or fly unaided. We have met leaders who understand and bring their personal best to challenges and make a dramatic difference to others. Better yet, they inspire others to do the same.

Serving others by taking action applying your own strengths can make you a superhero, especially to those people you help!

Superheroes can be...well...cool. And maybe even fun!

Work is a pretty serious endeavor - and it's very easy for it to get too serious. Having something that recognizes excellence and has some fun along the way is a killer combination.

The Superhero Wall at DHD Films office

DHD Films in Dallas, Texas, founded by brothers Hussain and Shezad Manjee, has a wall in their office where each member is depicted as a superhero. Not only is their company in the business of doing amazing storytelling for their clients - they are about seeing the special qualities in each of their team members and giving those qualities and each person a place of honor on their Superhero Wall.

So what are your and your team's superpowers?

Perhaps you can sort through chaos and see the next steps that need to be taken. Maybe your team is able to rise to the occasion and deliver results that make your customer's heart sing. Or perhaps you are simply able to inspire others to accomplish tasks they don't initially believe are possible.

As CEO of Trebuchet Group, Chris Hutchinson thrives working with clients and his team to improve organizational clarity, teamwork, and leadership impact.

After years of building Legos® and tree houses around the world, Chris earned his Mechanical Engineering degree and followed that with an MBA. His experiences in the military and the business world taught him great leadership can be learned, and everyone is in some way a leader.

trebuchet group

Trebuchet Group is a high-energy, collaborative consulting firm that provides team-building, facilitating, mentoring and coaching. We work with leaders and organizations who want to accelerate their performance.

Creating a strong company culture where employees hold themselves accountable does not happen by osmosis. Employees want to feel valued, knowing that they have a stake in the outcome. It takes consistent effort from leadership to create a culture that leads to higher productivity. Learn from the industry giants.

the ripple leader

Chris' talks about his new book, Ripple: A Field Manual for Leadership That Works